Is it Legalistic to Follow a Bible Reading Plan?

Is a Reading Plan a Biblical Prescriptive?

Again, no. Rather, Scripture encourages us to “delight in the law” and to “meditate on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:2). It enjoins us to “[hide] your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11), and to “[eat] them” (Jeremiah 15:16). How we apply these verses is up for interpretation and preference. Some take them to mean that we can read and study the Bible autonomously, at our own pace, in our own way. Others believe a prescribed plan is a fitting application. Neither is wrong.

God gave us great freedom in how we choose to approach the reading, studying, meditating, and memorization of His Word. He is gracious in this way. He knows that one size does not fit all. Each person—given their age, season of life, life circumstances, and reasons—is to come to their own determination about how to engage with His holy writ.

Regardless, we need to be in the Word. Reading it is good and right, for so many reasons. First and foremost, it brings us into God’s presence. God’s Word is God Himself, in written form. The Bible is one of the many ways he personally connects with his children. Through the Grand Narrative—played out over 66 books—God spells out how we can be in relationship with him, and to what lengths He has gone to (and continues to go to) to make that a reality. 

Reading the Bible enables us to see God’s heart for his creation (both animal and human), to glimpse the profound love he has for everyone, sinner and saint alike, and to understand his overarching purpose for mankind (that none should perish but have eternal life through faith in the sacrificial atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 3:9).

Yet another reason to read God’s Word is for transformation. Psalm 119:11 (above) spells it out clearly, “that I might not sin against you.” The Word, likened to a sword that pierces in Hebrews 4:12, exposes our sin and calls us to account. Yet not for judgment and condemnation but for confession and transformation. God’s Word highlights those deeds which we are to “turn from” (repent of)—lying, stealing, murdering, gossiping, adultery, etc.—and “turn to” (become more Christlike)—loving, peaceable, gentle, kind, self-controlled, gracious speaking, etc. Only in reading the Bible can we see who we truly are apart from God (depraved sinners and enemies) but what we truly can become through Jesus Christ (saints saved by grace, wholly beloved and forgiven).

Other reasons to read:

To understand why there are evil people in this world (Genesis 1-3)
To become equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3;17)
To learn how to serve/love God and others (Matthew 22:36-40, Galatians 5:13)
To know how to worship God (John 4:24)
To persevere in the race and not lose hope (Isaiah 40:31, 1 Corinthians 9:26)

To learn how to avoid Satan and temptation (Luke 1:4-13, 1 Peter 5:8)
To learn obedience (Joshua 1:8)
To learn how to pray (Luke 11:1-4)
To distinguish truth from error (James 1:5)
To be able to identify false teaching/teachers (Deuteronomy 18:20; 1 John 4:1)

And so much more!

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Creation of the Bible Reading Plan

We have 19th Century Scottish minister, Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843), to thank for the creation of the first reading plan. Known in short from as RMM, M’Cheyne was fervent in his desire to see his congregants saturated in and satiated by God’s Word. “We must be driven more to our Bibles, and to the mercy seat, if we are to stand in the evil day,” he once said in a sermon. To aid in that, he prepared “a scheme of Scripture reading…so that the whole Bible might be read once by you in the year, and all might be feeding in the same portion of the green pasture at the same time.” That initial scheme he called Directions for Reading the Bible.

Directions was later formalized in 1843 into the tract, Daily Bread: Being a Calendar for Reading through the Word of God in a Year, just months before M’Cheyne died of typhus. Daily Bread plotted out 365 days’ worth of readings that would guide readers through the New Testament and Psalms twice and the Old Testament once. It could be used both for family worship and private devotions.

The plan became widely popular, and was decades later adapted for publication in D.A. Carson’s book, “For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word.”

Is a Reading Plan Right for You? Pros and Cons to Consider

Possibly. To determine if one is, it might be wise to take the following pros and cons into consideration beforehand. 

1. Pros

A reading plan is ideal for those who want to be in God’s Word on a consistent basis, when perhaps they otherwise wouldn’t be. With a systematic plan, they have a plan! They know what is expected of them each day, like a tried-and-true assignment that’s already been mapped out. 

A reading plan is ideal for those who need focus and forward momentum, when they otherwise would run the risk of stagnating, stalling, then ultimately stopping altogether.

A reading plan is ideal for those who want to see and understand the Grand Narrative in its entirety in a relatively short amount of time. 

2. Cons

A reading plan promotes surface-level reading. A prescribed plan prohibits deeper dives into key words, phrases, or singular verses. The expectation is just to read the assigned passages and nothing else, which has the potential of leaving one feeling dissatisfied.

For some, a reading plan is man-made and restrictive. It does not allow for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Reading plans also lend themselves to being goal-oriented, a thing to tick off one’s to-do list. 

Furthermore, some find plans too routine, and, again, do not leave room for Spirit-led spontaneity.

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Which Reading Plan Is Right for You?

The answer to that question is a matter of personal interest and, in some cases, time. Of course, all of the plans listed below (and the myriad others) can be modified to fit your specific timeframe and preference. They can be used as a road map should you want to spend more time gaining insight into an ancient culture, political figure, or sect (i.e. Babylonia, Zealots, Pontius Pilate, nomads/shepherds, etc.), examine a particular word or phrase more closely, cross-reference passages for clarity and connection, etc.

Reading plans are to act only as helpful aids. They are there to serve you, not for you to serve them! That said, here are some of the more popular plans.

1. Chronological (or Historical)

Starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation. This type of reading plan is excellent for those wanting to understand the Grand Narrative and connections between events. 

2. Three-month

A fairly recent creation (2002), this plan drives you through the Bible in large, voluminous sections (12 pages per day). It requires commitment but is certainly manageable, and worth the time for someone who does not want to mess around but speed-read through the Bible.

3. One-year

Two readings per day: one Old Testament, one New Testament. This plan provides variety and a fresh approach to each day’s reading.

4. Two-year

Same as the one-year, with the addition of verses from Psalms and Proverbs. Readings tend to be shorter, due to the longer timeframe.

5. Topical

Organizes daily readings according to topics: humility, baptism, prophecy, forgiveness, hope, faith, etc. Studies are anywhere from seven to thirty days.

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Some Suggested Reading Plans

Bible Study Tools: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/

Christianity.com: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/best-bible-reading-plans-to-use-in-2023.html

Bible Gateway:  https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/

The Navigators: https://www.navigators.org/mk212211-navigators-bible-reading-plan/?sf_ac=w07

Bible Project (short, topical series plans): https://bibleproject.com/reading-plans/

The Gospel Coalition Two-year Plan: https://media.thegospelcoalition.org/static-blogs/tgc/files/2010/12/TGC-Two-Year-Bible-Reading-Plan1.pdf

When a Reading Plan Becomes Legalistic

Unfortunately, reading plans have the potential of becoming legalistic under certain circumstances and attitudes. Reading the Bible is meant to be a healthy spiritual discipline. However, some denominations and/or persons can take that discipline to unhealthy heights, as Jana Carlson found. 

“I wore my devotional diligence like a badge of honor, but it was actually a Pharisaical robe,” she said. “My thinking leaned toward legalism. I seemed to believe my consistent, regular time of personal devotions justified me before God.”

In fact, M’Cheyne, the “father” of the reading plan, foresaw this being an issue even back in the 1800s, according to Jordan Stone. “[M’Cheyne] understood the possible pitfalls of a plan like Daily Bread. The most prominent ones M’Cheyne mentioned include self-righteousness, reading just to get through the day’s demand, and the plan becoming a spiritual burden too heavy to bear…Formality in spirituality can be a bane to growth in holiness, not a boon to genuine piety.”

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How to Avoid This

Legalism is the “excessive adherence (or commitment) to a law or formula.” 

Kenny Roberts explains it thusly, “Legalism asks of others more than it asks of ourselves. It holds others to a standard that we pray God doesn’t hold us to. In this way, legalism becomes its own fatal flaw. The more we focus on how others are measuring up, the less we pay attention to our own walk and the further we drift away from the very standards we are holding others to. Pretty soon, our lives are flooded with the sins we spend all our time condemning others for.”

We see this legalistic tendency played out in the lives of the Pharisees in the New Testament. These religious elite imposed extrabiblical laws—some 613—on their fellow Jews. The Pharisees believed (wrongly) that these laws made all adherents—particularly themselves—far superior to non-adherents. However, the laws were too heavy a yoke to bear, and many Jews folded under them, which brought judgment and sometimes excommunication from the Pharisees. 

As modern Christians, we want to avoid this, for ourselves and for others. A reading plan can have the potential of becoming an “imposed extrabiblical law” that has the appearance of making one more righteousness and superior but doesn’t. It produces only self-righteousness.

There is also the tendency to idolize the reading plan (rather than the Person) and to elevate the plan out of proportion. The reading plan can become more about moral and theological rightness rather than about personal faith and relationship with God.

To avoid this legalistic trap, ask yourself these questions beforehand:

1. Do I believe a reading plan will make me a more superior Christian over those who don’t use one?

2. Do you believe God favors those who follow a reading plan over those who don’t?

3. Do I believe a reading plan is the only way to draw closer to God and become more Christlike?

4. Will I feel guilty if I lapse a day or two (or three or four)?

5. Will I feel like I’ve disappointed God if I don’t follow the plan?

6. Will I come to resent the reading plan over time?

7. Will a reading plan increase or decrease my joy and delight in the Word and being with God?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be wise to re-evaluate using a systematic reading plan and opt for simply reading the Word at your own pace, in your own way.

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Conclusion

Trevin Wax, Senior Vice President of Theology and Communications for Lifeway says, “The most important reason that someone should consider a Bible reading plan is because you’re going to generally get farther with a plan than you are if you’re going to try to just read the Bible based on sheer will-power alone. I think the main reason I would give people for considering a Bible reading plan is not because there needs to be any legalistic reason behind it; it’s not because you want a feel bound to it like it’s just something of a drudgery that you’re going through. But it’s the kind of thing that will help you get farther faster.”

Furthermore, as in all things sacred, there must be grace. A Bible reading plan is not for everyone, but it is for some. Grace needs to be extended to those who choose to use one and to those who choose not to use one.

Neither is wrong, and all are right in their own approach to reading God’s Word. The main thing is that we are in God’s Word regularly—reading, studying, learning, growing, being transformed. How our approach is applied is a matter of time constraints, season of life, personal preference, and prayer.

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